Auxiliary Dam Topped At Folsom

Even in a drought, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is getting ready for the next flood threat on the American river.

Construction workers poured the last bit of concrete to top off the Auxiliary Dam at Folsom Lake this morning.

Katie Huff with the Corps says the dam is 113 feet high, which is much lower than Folsom Dam: "The main dam is 50-feet higher in elevation. So, we have to wait for the reservoir to be at a certain height before you can release enough water before you start over-tapping the main dam. So, the reason the auxiliary spillway was chosen because these gates are 50 feet lower, meaning that we can release water from a larger storm event earlier and much more safely than we could at the main dam."

Yesterday, crews began blasting and excavating the dirt and rock area between the lake and the auxiliary dam. The Army Corps says that work will last until 2015.

The new dam, lake channel and spillway are scheduled to be finished by 2017.

Bob reports on all things northern California and Nevada. His coverage of police technology, local athletes, and the environment has won a regional Associated Press and several Edward R. Murrow awards. Read Full Bio